One of the country’s biggest multi-academy trusts has set aside £2 million for the running of its second outdoor education centre.
Accounts for Delta Academies Trust show it has purchased a centre in the Lake District that will provide accommodation for up to 90 students.
It is the second centre operated by the trust, which also owns a centre in the Yorkshire Dales.
The accounts for Delta Academies Trust for the 2023-24 year also show that its chief executive, Paul Tarn, had a salary increase of at least £20,000, taking him up to between £295,001 and £300,000 last year.
The trust accounts also show that it grew by taking on four more schools in 2023-24, bringing its total to 57 schools. It is now set to expand again by taking on six more schools via a merger.
Outdoor education centres
Delta trustees agreed in September 2021 to designate reserves of £2 million from unrestricted funds for the running and upkeep of Dallowgill Environmental and Outdoor Education Centre in North Yorkshire.
The centre was completed in 2020-21 and opened its doors to pupils and students in September 2021.
The trust is now working on the Patterdale Outdoor Education Centre in the Lake District. The accounts show a new site was purchased in April 2024, and several staff and students have had the opportunity to access the site “prior to the significant refurbishment, which is due to take place in 2024-25”.
The new site has a campsite that the trust will use specifically for Duke of Edinburgh’s Award-programmed visits.
According to the accounts, funds for the centre have been ringfenced: £1.5 million for running costs over the next 10 years and £500,000 towards maintenance of the site.
The accounts show that the trust finished the year with a surplus of £2.4 million on restricted and unrestricted funds.
Delta made an overall surplus of £76,615,000 in the year. It said this included a surplus on its restricted fixed asset fund of £74,227,000 and a surplus on its restricted and unrestricted funds of £2,388,000.
The accounts also say that, before transfers to capital spending, the trust made an in-year surplus on restricted and unrestricted funds of £20,408,000.
The trust’s current level of unrestricted reserves - total funds less the amount held in fixed assets and restricted funds - is £17,064,000, up from £16,129,000 in 2022-23.
CEO pay
The accounts show that Mr Tarn’s salary increased by at least £20,000 last year, from between £265,001 and £270,000 in 2022-23 to between £290,0001 and £295,000 in 2023-24.
He has been the CEO of the trust since 2016, when it was previously known as Schools Partnership Trust Academies.
Since April last year, he has also been the CEO of Coast and Vale Learning Trust, which runs six schools on the Yorkshire coast and is now merging with Delta.
Expansion
The accounts show that the trust took on four more schools in 2023-24, with the additions being two secondaries and two primary schools.
Carlton le Willows Academy, in Nottinghamshire, transferred from Greater Nottingham Education Trust. And Lincoln Castle Academy, in Lincoln, transferred from Harbour Learning Trust.
Eastborough Nursery, Infant and Junior School and Heckmondwike Primary School, both in Kirklees, also joined Delta during the year,
Ministers have now approved a move for all six schools in Coast and Vale Learning Trust to join Delta, meaning the MAT will rise to 63 schools and become the second largest trust in the country.
The decision was referred up to ministers by the DfE’s regional director for Yorkshire and the Humber, minutes for the regional advisory board meeting in December show.
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